1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a fluid discharge device that supplies fluid from a main tank through a subtank to a head, to a printing device, and to a method of controlling the fluid discharge device.
2. Description of Related Art
One example of a fluid discharge device is a device that is incorporated in a printer connected to a personal computer, for example, and discharges fluid ink to a print head.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Appl. Pub. JP-A-2001-71530, for example, teaches a fluid discharge device that has a printing control means for controlling a printing means, a maintenance control means, and an ink consumption control means, calculates ink consumption based on cleaning operations and an ink discharge count, and warns the user when it is time to replace the ink.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Appl. Pub. JP-A-2001-71530 estimates the remaining ink quantity by determining ink consumption from an ink discharge count, but the detection is not particularly precise. As a result, the threshold value for determining the ink end must be set higher than the actual ink end level to provide a sufficient margin of error, the ink cartridge is thus replaced with some amount of usable ink remaining, and ink is thus wasted.